Kate Smith statue removed from outside Philly arena

The Philadelphia Flyers removed a statue of singer Kate Smith from outside the Wells Fargo Center and will no longer play her version of “God Bless America” during games, the team announced in a statement Sunday.

The Yankees announced last week they why they were no longer playing her rendition during the seventh-inning stretch: revelations that Smith sang several racist jingles in the 1930s.

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“The Flyers have enjoyed a long and popular relationship with “God Bless America,” as performed by the late Kate Smith, a woman who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor for her patriotic contributions to our nation,” the team said.

“But in recent days, we learned that several of the songs Kate Smith performed in the 1930s include lyrics and sentiments that are incompatible with the values of our organization, and evoke painful and unacceptable themes.”

The Kate Smith statue outside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia was covered up last week. The Flyers announced the statue's removal on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Matt Slocum / AP)

“The Yankees have been made aware of a recording that had been previously unknown to us and decided to immediately and carefully review this new information,” a club spokesman said last week. “The Yankees take social, racial and cultural insensitivities very seriously. And while no final conclusions have been made, we are erring on the side of sensitivity.”

The Flyers use of Smith’s live performance track was considered good luck. Smith performed the song before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1974 and ended up beating the Bruins to win the first of back-to-back Cups. Since winning again in 1975, the Flyers have yet to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup again.